Devices that provide programs for entertainment are increasingly popular. Referred to herein generally as media controllers, such devices can include set top boxes, digital video recorders, intelligent gaming consoles such as the Microsoft® Xbox®, Sony® PlayStation®, and Nintendo® GameCube®, media consoles such as the Apple® TV®, personal computers, and the like. Each of these media controllers may receive programming from one or more content providers, including cable content providers, satellite content providers, internet content providers, and the like, and provide the programming to a viewer upon request.
It is increasingly common for a single household to own several media controllers, and to receive content from multiple content providers. For example, a digital video recorder in a bedroom may receive content from a cable provider that offers television programs, music channels, video on demand content, and the like. A second digital video recorder in the living room may receive content from the same cable provider, as well as a satellite provider that offers different television programs, music channels and video on demand content. A Sony® Playstation® in the basement may receive content from the Internet, and have a variety of programs and music recorded on an attached storage device.
While the proliferation of media controllers increases a viewer's choices as to what, when and where content may be consumed, it is difficult, over time, for a viewer to remember exactly which media controllers in which rooms offer access to which content. Moreover, it is difficult to track which members of a household are consuming what content. Tracking such information may not only be interesting, but may be considered necessary to ensure that certain members of a household are not consuming inappropriate content, and that other members have access to all available content regardless of the room they are in.
What is needed is an intuitive and dynamic electronic program guide that contains information identifying the content that is available from all the media controllers in a household. It would also be beneficial if the electronic program guide could identify who is consuming what content at which location, both currently and historically. Such information would, among other advantages, greatly expand a viewer's options, and enable individuals to keep track of what other individuals have, or are, consuming.